Baylor Opera Theater presents Gaetano Donizetti's "Rita"

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Contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321
WACO, Texas (Oct. 12, 2012) - Many times when the word opera is mentioned, it is closely associated with a long, boring performance for the musically inclined. However, "Rita" by Gaetano Donizetti is the perfect opera for beginners. It offers great music, a funny story and is performed in less than one hour.
"It is one of my goals as the new director of Baylor Opera to grow the program by taking into account an opera's pedagogical use and to build our audience. I strongly believe opera should not be a museum piece anymore. Opera was contemporary in its time and it should be accessible to modern audiences as well. For Rita, we chose to do the dialogue parts in English while the music is sung in Italian so that our audiences can be included in the story," said Octavio Cardenas, director of Baylor opera.

There will be two performances, held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17 and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18 in Roxy Grove Hall, 624 Speight Ave.

"We hope that this becomes the first of many productions that will contribute to making opera a relevant part of the future of Baylor," Cardenas said.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Octavio Cardenas at 254-710-3571 or by email at Octavio_Cardenas@Baylor.edu.

by Rebecca Malzahn , student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.